Abstract
SEVERAL authors1–3 have discussed whether past immersion of the Solar System in dense interstellar matter (ISM) might have left observable imprints on the Earth. Accretion cannot affect the solar constant significantly unless the surrounding ISM attains densities of 105–107 cm−3 (refs 2 and 3). We demonstrate here, however, that a much more modest ISM density of 102–103 cm−3 (a value typical of dense interstellar clouds in spiral arms) would prevent the solar wind from reaching the Earth, and propose that such a change in the Earth's space environment may trigger drastic climatic changes.
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BEGELMAN, M., REES, M. Can cosmic clouds cause climatic catastrophes?. Nature 261, 298–299 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261298a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/261298a0
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